HISTORICAL STAGES OF THE SPREAD OF ISLAM IN INDONESIA

Islam spread to a very large part of the world in the Middle Ages. Southeast Asia, especially Indonesia, did not remain aloof from these processes. The penetration and spread of Islam in the Indonesian archipelago dates back to the 9th-16th centuries. We can say that merchants, tourists, mystics, military men, and scientists also contributed to these historical processes. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in Southeast Asia. Indigenous peoples in this area practiced mainly Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and numerous other local polytheistic religions before Islam. The entry of Islam into the Indonesian archipelago and its transformation into one of the region’s major religions continued for several years. After the arrival of Islam in the region, the locals warmly welcomed the religion, seeing the culture and attitudes of Muslims towards other religions. Scholars have put forward several theories regarding the entry of Islam into the region. The article discusses in detail these theories and the views of their supporters. The most common of these theories is that Islam came to Indonesia through India, Arab traders, and China. Each of the above theories about the entry of Islam into the archipelago has its own evidence and historical sources. These views are also explored in the article. Scholars from Samarkand also played an important role in the spread of Islam in Indonesia. The article also examines the activities of these scholars.